Down syndrome awareness month Archives

Better with You {Down syndrome awareness month}

Usually as October kicks off, I’m madly welcoming submissions, and editing and scheduling blog posts and social media for Down syndrome awareness month. For the past three years, I have attempted (thanks to some lovely writer friends, with a surprisingly good rate of consistency) to get a post up every...Read More

To the Special Needs Mother: this was you all along {guest post}

For someone who has been part of the Down syndrome community for less than four years, Kat has achieved much and connected with many in that time, whilst also holding down a full time job and being a single mum to two children. I am thankful to know this woman, filled with such passion...Read More

Ordinary Miracles: Learning to connect by heart through a dual-diagnosis of Down syndrome & Autism Spectrum Disorder (DS/ASD) {guest post}

While Elisa and I have never met in person, from our very early interactions in an online forum, it was clear she is a woman who exudes love, warmth and empathy, a woman with a strong faith, and a woman devoted to her family. As it turns out, we are both...Read More

Juxtaposition: the opposing sentiments of a sibling {guest post}

Meeting Lucy was one of those Universe-conspiring moments. I stumbled upon her blog one night whilst feeding my baby and I immediately felt connected to her words, beautiful in their simplicity, describing life as a creative spirit and mother of two (now three!) small girls. It wasn’t until later that I discovered...Read More

Memories of My Cousin Nicholas {guest post}

Nicholas was lucky enough to have a whole tribe of wonderful cousins - 18 of them, in fact. But he definitely had a soft spot for his 11 year old cousin, and fellow blondie, Sophie. If ever I needed to encourage Nicholas to go somewhere, I just needed to tell him that...Read More

My Brother the Champion {guest post}

On numerous occasions, I have heard my friend Shalee proudly talking about her cousin, Aran, who is a world champion swimmer and also happens to have Down syndrome. I love celebrating all the amazing things young adults with Down syndrome are doing in the world, so I shamelessly asked Aran's family if...Read More

Why Should You See a Practitioner who Specialises in Trisomy 21? {guest post}

I have loved watching the growth in Gabi's passion for learning about the intricacies of the biochemistry of Trisomy 21, and how to support it health wise, since she had her beautiful daughter. Gabi has always been so generous in sharing her extensive knowledge within the DS community online, and I am grateful for her writing...Read More

Inspiration for a Creative Life {guest post}

I first learned of Alexis when her reputation for making the most magnificent cakes and creating amazing artwork preceded her. We have since been lucky enough to receive two beautiful pieces of art that Alexis has created, (one you'll see below of a certain superhero) which prompted me to find out more about the story behind...Read More

One Day at a Time: Charley’s schooling journey {guest post}

Latasha and I first met in Melbourne, as we underwent an intense week at a conference together (one of the many we have attended for our children, as she mentions below) and were reacquainted at a more recent workshop. She's a fellow Mum-of-three-boys and her love for all three of her...Read More

Speech Pathology: What’s In a Name? {guest post}

We were blessed with a pretty awesome team of therapists at our local branch of Disability Services Queensland and I have often said that it never felt like a chore to take Nicholas there because the adults always seemed to be having just as much fun as the kids! I was impressed...Read More

Why Do Words Matter? Challenging the Language of Diagnosis {guest post}

Rebecca is the kind of woman who makes the decision not just to ‘cope’ through challenges, but to face them with resilience and positivity and embrace the transformative impact they have on her life. She is a woman I have long admired and I always appreciate her pragmatic and thoughtful...Read More

No Love Like Ours

I know the fear and darkness associated with receiving a difficult diagnosis for our child. I also know the infinite love that has come with knowing our child. Does that infinite love mean we never worry about our children? Does it mean we never ever think about the diagnosis again because we...Read More

How to Describe Veronika {guest post}

I'm not sure who is more famous, Veronika or her mum, Kylee, but there is no doubt in my mind that they are both remarkable women who inspire those around them each and every day. I am so glad that Kylee is able to share part of their family's story here - a...Read More

Fearless Heart {guest post}

As often happens in this beautiful Down syndrome community, sometimes we only meet other parents online and yet there is a deep connection that occurs. From the moment I 'met' Helen, I was impressed with her expansive knowledge and wise, yet humble, approach. I feel honoured that she has honestly shared her...Read More

Flawed Bid for Perfection

Our handsome boy graced the pages of Queensland's major newspaper, The Courier Mail, again today (with our permission). It was with a mix of pride and sadness that I read the words written by Kylie Lang in her opinion piece about the proposal that new non-invasive prenatal testing be covered...Read More

Top Ten Tips for Beginning in an Early Childhood Setting when your child has Down syndrome {guest post}

Joelle’s natural warmth and positivity shines brightly and I’m pretty sure it would be physically impossible not to fall in love with her and her beautiful family as soon as you meet them. From the moment Joelle welcomed her daughter, Josee, into their family, she became an incredible advocate for the...Read More

A Little Snippet

When I go to our computer and do a search based on video files, it appears I have about 700 clips of my children. None of them are very long, some of them are two second video-selfies that the boys have taken of the tops of their own heads, but...Read More

How He Made Me Aware {guest post}

Sometimes you meet someone and just realise there’s a connection. This was certainly the case when I met Ange online through a Down syndrome writers forum. While not really knowing each other from a bar of soap, I felt very honoured that she and her family went out of their...Read More